Moorfields Acuity Chart Set

In the UK, more than half a million over-50s have a form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that affects the eye’s ability to detect fine detail. The Moorfields Acuity Chart Set has been developed by researchers from Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology to detect changes in vision due to AMD in the early stages. This is an important development because medication can be used in these early stages to potentially slow or even prevent further loss of vision.

What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

This degenerative condition affects the macula, the small area located at the centre of the retina that is responsible for detecting fine detail. This region of the eye is especially important for reading and recognising faces. Unfortunately, changes in vision are often only noticeable to the patient in the later stages of degeneration, which is why it is important to have a reliable test that can detect change in eyesight in the early stages of AMD.

More on the Moorfields Acuity Chart

The Moorfields Acuity Chart (MAC) is the first quick and reliable sight test that can detect the earliest changes in the retina due to AMD. The test charts feature letters created from fine black and white strips. Unlike the standard eye sight testing chart, the two-coloured, high-spatial frequency letters on the MAC appear to disappear when they are too small to be recognised.

The Moorfields Acuity Charts have been demonstrated to detect deficits in visual function in AMD where the patient’s conventional letter acuity remains normal. This is important because, when changes in vision due to AMD are detected early on, steps can be taken to slow or prevent further vision loss.

The Moorfields Acuity Chart Set

This set includes two testing charts – MAC 1 for the right eye, and MAC 2 for the left eye. Both charts are grey, with letters with a black core and white border. The charts employ a logarithmic progression in letter size, allowing for single letter scoring. This method of scoring is shown to be more accurate and precise than conventional line scoring.